by Lily Ashton
Also by Lily Ashton
Paint a Murder
Published by Magenta Lily Publishing 2019
London, Great Britain
Copyright © Magenta Lily Publishing 2019
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
ISBN 978-1-9161062-2-2
Cover design by Design for Writers
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 1
It was strange but true, that once Alice Haydon had secured her dream job of senior art curator, she quit.
The post at Gregory’s House Art Gallery had been a good one. Alice was delighted that after eight years her efforts to climb the greasy corporate pole had led her to the top curating job. But having got there, she decided that she would prefer to work for herself. Fed up taking direction from bosses who did not have her interests at heart, she figured that striking out on her own would give her the creative independence she craved. And she had landed a big contract straightaway. A high-profile project with a prominent local family.
Her long legs took Alice through Renton Hall’s stone-flagged porch and into the warm welcome of her new client. Eleanor Carberry’s sunshine smile brightened her leathered face. A long white dress hung off narrow shoulders, a daisy-embroidered sash hugged her waist. She wore a gold crown.
“You must be Titania,” said Alice. “That’s a lovely outfit.”
Alice introduced Eleanor to her boyfriend Joe.
“It’s a grand place you have here.” Joe Buchanan raised his soft Irish voice over the laughter of a boisterous group behind him. “And I like that you’re having a bit of a shindig before you lay the new carpets.”
“Now that the structural work is finished, the decorators want to get cracking.” Eleanor tucked strands of fine hair behind her ears. “So we decided to have our annual Midsummer Night’s party before they start. It’s three weeks late – I do hope people won’t think we’re completely bonkers.”
Alice shuffled closer to Eleanor. “I’m sure they won’t, they’ll be too interested in seeing what you’ve done with the place. Converting a family home to a boutique hotel is quite an undertaking.”
“So we’ve discovered! It wasn’t an easy decision and we’ll have to get used to strangers staying in our home. But we’re determined to make it a success.” Eleanor threw her arms in the air. “But now we party. And you look lovely, Alice. Have you come as Hermia?”
“No, I’m just a general fairy.” Alice held out the skirt of her pink dress. “And it’s not every day I get to say that!”
“Evening Eleanor.” A stooped man lifted his trilby hat as he went by. “Always a pleasure to attend a party at the Hall.” He limped into the house, thumping his walking stick into the floor with each step.
“That’s Bill, our neighbour,” said Eleanor. “He always walks around to the front door and his wife, Elsa, uses the shortcut to the back. She’s probably here already.”
“If I had a choice between the long way and the shortcut,” said Alice. “I know which I’d pick.”
“Enjoy the party. There are drinks and food in the conservatory. And Alice – do show Joe around. I’m sure he’d like to see what you’re doing for us here.”
Alice took Joe into the library, where empty bookshelves lined the walls. “The plan is to rearrange this room so there are less books, ironically for a library. But there’ll be a bigger sitting area, especially around the fireplace.”
“With a real fire, it’ll be snug. I can see the reasoning.”
They edged their way through chattering guests in the oak-panelled hallway, to the conservatory at the back of the house. An oval table groaned with food – pink and lilac macaroons and strawberries dipped in chocolate. A white-frosted cake decorated with pink rose petals was encircled by flickering tea lights in coloured glass jars.
Alice elbowed Joe. “What do you think of the ceiling decorations? It took us ages to fix them up.”
Orange and black paper butterflies hung from the pitched glass ceiling, strings of white flowers fluttering between them. Alice bit into a teddy bear-shaped sandwich. The room would be perfect for themed events and parties at the hotel.
“Good evening, Alice,” said a muscular man in a short green jacket over a bare chest. He wore a heavy crown with high arches. “Good to see you.”
“Oberon, I presume? You look amazing.”
“One does one’s best,” he said with a broad grin. “As this is the last time we’ll have a big family party here, we thought we’d really go to town.”
“Joe, this is Nick Carberry, Eleanor’s brother and co-owner of Renton Hall.”
“Alice told me you’re a photographer, Joe. You should see some of the old family photos we’ve got stored in the attic.” Nick put an empty glass on the table. “I told Eleanor that we should hang some of them around the place. I think the hotel guests would like to see the house’s history.”
“I understand your grandfather developed his own photos. That was an art in itself in those days.”
“It was, but thank God for digital cameras, eh?”
Joe laughed. “Too true.”
“This house is going to make a fabulous hotel,” said Alice. “You must be so excited. Or perhaps you’re nervous?”
“A bit of both.” Nick grinned. “It’s a wrench giving up the house; it’s our family home after all and we’ve had some wonderful times here. But since Father passed away, neither Eleanor nor I can afford to keep it and we couldn’t bear to sell it. We’ll run the hotel together, though, so we’ll still get to spend a lot of time here.”
Alice’s father had abandoned the family when she was six years old, so she did not share the Carberrys’ happy childhood memories. In her bleaker moments, she had often imagined herself in a house like Renton Hall, surrounded by a large family and Labradors, building a trunkful of happy stories. No wonder Nick and Eleanor didn’t want to let all that go.
“I see you’ve had the sculpture installed, Nick.” Alice indicated a life-sized marble statue of a male figure with no face, on the edge of the decking. “Though I thought it was supposed to be on the other side of the lake?”
“I put it here tonight so that people can
see it. It’ll be moved tomorrow. What do you think of it?”
“I like it. It’s striking and definitely a talking point.”
“Well, that makes two fans. You and Eleanor’s dog, who’s developed a strange attachment to it.”
“Ah, there you are Nick,” said a silken voice. A tall, dusky woman wearing a saffron wraparound dress glided to Nick’s side. Nick beamed and put his arm around her whittled waist.
“Alice, Joe – let me introduce you to Devi, my lovely girlfriend.” Gold flecks sparkled in Nick’s hazel eyes.
Alice’s mouth dropped. “Oh my God, you’re Devi Dutta. You were in The Sunny Girl! I loved that film and you were wonderful. Gosh, I can’t believe I’m talking to a real Bollywood star.” Alice knew she was gushing, but she didn’t care.
“Thank you, I’m glad you liked the movie.” Devi tossed back long, shiny locks and flashed a megawatt smile. “I loved making it.”
Alice was entranced. She had only recently watched the film with her friend, Livvie Manners. The pair had sat on Alice’s sofa, snacking on brownies from Livvie’s café, watching the gorgeous Devi sashay across the screen. And here was the luminous star herself, right in front of her.
“I may be a tad biased, but I agree,” said Nick. “You were fantastic, Devi. In fact I think it’s your best performance yet. I can’t wait to see your next film. It’s scheduled for autumn, right?”
“The world premiere is in Mumbai in November, though it won’t be in cinemas over here until early next year.”
“What brings you to England, Devi?” said Joe. “Are they shooting Bollywood movies in England now?”
“No, I have a break from filming so I’m working on some of my other interests. And I’m here to see Nick, of course.”
A solid man with thinning blond hair patted Nick’s arm and whispered in his ear. Nick stiffened and dropped his arm from Devi’s waist. He looked at the ground until the man finished speaking.
“Would you excuse me?” he said. “I have to deal with something. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Alice wanted to show Joe the rest of the house, so she led him up the dark oak staircase to the newly fitted bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. They stepped over paint-speckled, creaky boards and peered out of naked windows to the house’s grounds below. The empty walls looked sad and grubby. But tomorrow work would begin to transform the building’s bare bones into a beautiful, luxurious hotel. Alice could not wait.
Back downstairs, they went through the conservatory and onto the deck. Two chefs in full whites with tall puffy hats moved hunks of meat on a smoking barbeque.
“Hello Alice,” said a squat man with ruddy cheeks. “Glad you could make it.”
“Harry. Isn’t it the perfect evening for a midsummer party?”
“As always! Even the weather does the Carberrys’ bidding.” Alice noticed the edge of bitterness in his voice. Harry held out a hand to Joe. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Harry. Nick and Eleanor’s cousin.”
Joe took Harry’s hand. “You must have seen a good few parties here over the years.”
“I have indeed. I spent much of my childhood here, especially in the summer holidays. The Carberrys did a lot of entertaining then and there was always something exciting going on.” He glanced up at the house and sighed. “Those were the days.”
“I suppose with Mr Carberry’s passing there was nobody to live in the house.”
“Aunt Mary is still with us. But the house is too big for an old lady on her own, so she’s moved to Scotland to be with her sister. Her family are from the Borders originally, so she’s going back home really.”
“And Renton Hall becomes Renton Hotel,” said Alice. “In such a beautiful, peaceful spot, it’s sure to do well.”
“I don’t doubt it’ll be successful with Nick and Eleanor running it – and your beautiful curation of course. Though I hope that statue won’t scare the guests away. It looks like something out of Star Wars.”
Eleanor joined the group. “It’s a good job you’re standing over here, I think the catering staff are getting a bit carried away at the barbeque. I don’t know why Nick insisted on having it.”
“Because we all love it,” said Harry. “The barbeque is always popular. Remember the one Nick did last summer? He must have barbequed a whole cow!”
“We did get through buckets of food, though I think Great Wheaton cricket team had a lot to do with that. By the way Harry, where’s Cheryl? I haven’t seen her.”
“She snuck in the back and went upstairs to change. Now you mention it, I haven’t seen her since.”
Eleanor headed off to check on the bar. Alice left Joe talking to Harry and walked to the edge of the decking. Moonbeams shimmered across an inky lake, fading into the dark fields beyond. A wooden humpback bridge, sparkling with coloured lights, straddled the lake as it thinned into a stream. A couple hunched over the railing, watching the water.
Alice turned around and looked back at the house. Little points of flamelight bounced off the ivy leaves on the facade. Working on this project was a brilliant start to her new career. She really could not have hoped for a more thrilling job.
“Help!” It was a woman’s voice, full of alarm and urgency. “Help!”
Alice spun around to see a figure thundering out of the gloom. She ran across the bridge, stumbled onto the decking and pulled up beside Harry.
“It’s Nick …” The woman’s knees gave way as she struggled for breath. “He’s dead.”
Chapter 2
Harry grabbed the woman’s elbow, hauling her from her knees and onto her feet.
“What are you talking about?” he yelled, shaking her arm.
The woman started to speak, but the words were choked in her sobs. She pointed behind her. “There,” she said. Yanking her elbow from Harry’s clasp, she ran back where she had come from.
Nobody moved.
“Shouldn’t we find out what’s happened?” Alice looked after the woman as she was sucked into the darkness beyond the bridge.
“I wouldn’t worry,” said Harry. “It’s probably Nick’s idea of a party piece.”
Eleanor appeared on the decking, her crown askew. She grabbed Harry’s arm. “I heard Cheryl shouting. What’s going on?”
“Nothing, I should think. She’s just making a scene as usual.”
“I thought I heard her say that Nick was dead?”
“She did, but I assumed it was part of the entertainment.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Eleanor paled beneath her crown. “Harry …”
His expression changed instantly. “I’ll check,” he said, and ran into the darkness, breaking into a sprint as he crossed the bridge.
Alice had caught Harry and Eleanor’s conversation. She watched Harry disappear before she stepped towards the lake.
Joe caught her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Alice glared over her shoulder. “To see if my client’s still alive.”
Alice jogged over the bridge and onto a path that ran straight ahead, a field on one side and a wooded area on the other. She hiked up her long dress and made for an outbuilding ahead, partly illuminated by a light fixed high up on the stonework. Joe caught her up and they passed the outbuilding together. They veered to the right and along a second path into the woods. Just ahead, Harry and Eleanor were crouched down, their heads together.
Alice slowed to a walk, but even before she reached it, she could make out the spreadeagled body of a king. By the time she reached for Joe’s hand, she had already seen Nick Carberry’s face. Alice looked away.
“Oh Nick. Nick!” Eleanor wailed as she knelt beside her brother.
A man rushed passed Alice to Eleanor’s side. He put his hand on Eleanor’s back as he bent over the body, then he turned to the little group of guests who had followed.
<
br /> “Okay everyone, nothing to see.” Tom tapped Harry’s shoulder. “We need to clear this area.”
“Okay, you stay with Eleanor,” said Harry. “I’ll take care of the guests.”
Tom knelt beside his wife. She seemed to be tugging her brother’s hand, as though urging him to get up. Harry stretched out his arms and shooed the guests out of the wood. Joe put his arm around Alice’s shoulder, manoeuving her through the crowd and back to the house.
Guests who had been waiting for news rushed to greet them. One man with baggy trousers and a hat in the shape of a donkey’s head ran over the bridge. “Is Nick really dead?”
Joe stepped in front of Alice before she could answer. “I think someone should call the police.”
“Already have,” said Bottom. “They should be here any minute.”
Anxious whispers passed amongst the visitors. The chefs continued to turn steaks, but there were no more takers. As Alice walked towards the conservatory, two policemen burst through the doors and onto the decking. One ran ahead and straight up the path.
Inside the conservatory, DI Nathan Salisbury was talking to a woman in a waitress’s uniform. Before she reached the detective, Alice stopped and brushed her hands down the front of her dress.
“Hello Alice,” said the voice of calm. “I’m sorry to see you in these circumstances. We happened to be close by when the call came through, so at least we haven’t kept you all waiting.”
The last time her path had crossed with Nathan’s, they had both been following the trail of a murderer and art thief. Nathan had been the lead detective on the case, but Alice had pursued her own path to find the culprit. Alice had got there first.
“I don’t know how such a terrible thing could have happened,” she said. “Everyone seemed to be having such a good time.”
“That’s what I’m here to find out,” said Nathan. “I’ll go and check out the scene now. There are more officers in the hallway, so give them your details before you leave, please. And Alice, we’ll need a statement from you at some point.”